Numéricable has selected the Calix E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform and gigabit passive optical network technology to upgrade its service delivery platform in Belgium and Luxembourg. Calix, along with optical specialist Arcadiz Telecom, will work closely to roll out Numéricable’s new high-speed broadband networks to deliver business services across the region. The new platform will enable Numéricable’s customers to take advantage of advanced voice, video, and data services at symmetrical speeds ranging from 30 megabits per second (30 Mbps) up to 1 gigabit per second (1 Gbps).

Numéricable serves over 150,000 customers in Brussels with triple-play services for residential subscribers. Owned by Coditel and with a close relationship to the French Numéricable organization, with whom it shares a range of resources, Numéricable Belgium is a long-established operator with a highly dispersed coax cable network. The company has traditionally delivered triple-play residential services over its hybrid fiber coax infrastructure, but in recent years has moved increasingly towards using its fiber to connect businesses and has developed a number of specific niche markets. The company is now looking at ways to maximize the potential of its fiber infrastructure in Belgium and Luxembourg and deliver revenue-generating advanced services to its business customers.

Numéricable has over 1000 business customers, including over 90 percent of all the hotels in Europe’s capital city, Brussels. Accordingly, the hospitality sector will be one of the first to benefit from Calix-based GPON technology. Numéricable’s network will enable hotels to offer high-speed Internet services and IP telephony alongside the traditional analogue television services in guest rooms, including personalized and interactive TV services.

Arcadiz Telecom, with core expertise in optical networking, designed the solution and partnered with Calix for the deployment of the network, as well as for the comprehensive maintenance and support of Numéricable’s FTTx network, including a 24x7 hotline for its business customers. Arcadiz Telecom provides Numéricable with the required multilingual professional services and optical consultancy, assuring a fast introduction of the new platform. "Our partnership with Calix is key to our FTTx network strategy and we are delighted that Numéricable has recognized the value that our combined strengths can deliver," said Jos Vermeylen, Arcadiz's managing director.

Numéricable is leveraging the Calix E7-2 ESAP and GPON technology to deliver advanced business services over one fiber, significantly reducing deployment costs. Armed with Calix solutions, Numéricable’s advanced networks are capable of supporting GPON and point-to-point gigabit Ethernet technology to deliver world-class broadband services, including IPTV and RF video, on-demand audio and video, IP telephony, instant messaging, and broadband speeds of up to 1 Gbps over fiber. For businesses, this opens the possibilities of interactive and high-definition digital video streaming, allowing video conferencing and video surveillance applications. It will also support multi-site connectivity enabling LAN-to-LAN and VPN networks and high-speed data communications and file transfer and enabling extensive use of the cloud.